Rail spike



RAIL SPIKE Filed Fen 1. 195o H. A. LACERDA Aug. 5, 1952 Patenteci Aug. 5, 1.952

Y SPIKE?"- HarryrA. Lacerda, Los. Angeles,l Calif., vassignorofE` onefhalf -to rlVlatthflzw.` G. Eggett, Trona,

Cailifr Application February'l, 1950; VSerial No. Lil-,1120i This invention is concerned'g with a nail or.- spike and is particularly practical as applieduto aspike vfor use in securing aA rail toa tie, and it.Y

is" af'general object oftheinvention to providea simple, practical, dependabledevice of this general character. v

It is-commonv-toconstruct tracksrfor trainsbyv providing rails mounted on `cross ties which are formed of Wood. The rails are steel and are provided with mounting flanges which rest on bearing plates which, in turn, rest on the ties. Itis common, infact, practically universal toemploy spikes for securing rails to ties, and in the conventional case the spikes are entered through openings in the tie plates and are driven into the ties; The heads on the spikes overlie thenflanges of the'rails and the action of the spikes is to retain the rails on the tiesand against spread- The usual railroadspke is difficult or hardV to drive and after being` in service lout4 a short time the. ordinary spikeis usually loose or partially withdrawn from the tie due to the working actionA that occurs as the rail deflects under the load of rolling stock such as locomotives and carsand/or due to expansion and contractionv of the woodbres. Attempts to secure or anchor. spikes as by providing them with burrs orlike rough features generally prove unsatisfactory. as they result in chewing or. tearing of the ties. and, consequently, do more harm than. good. Further, after. the usual spike has been in service an appreciable length of timeit works. in the hole established in the tie, tending toy enlarge` the hole, and in many. cases the spike becomes. corroded, particularly at its upper endportion or closey beneath the head, as where it passes through the plate and into the tie, all withthe result that its eiciency or eicacy is materially decreased.

The rail spike p-rovidedby this invention conforms, generally, inits major features with the usual spikey in that it has an elongate .body rec.

tangular in cross sectional congurationand it has-anointegral head at one end with a projecting f part for engagingthe flange4 ofA a. rail andis sharpened` at the other end to readily enter the woodfof atie. Being thus constructed-the spike.. of the present invention is useful withequip ment such asis nowin general use, that is, with usual rails, platesand ties, and it can behandled, driven and withdrawn, by tools and.A

thatrs. both methods employed'to handle ordinary spikes.

The, present invention provides anchoring, Ineens.,l thatfl serves;1 tok elifeci-,ively maintain` the.

.Y 2:, spike in position afteri it.. been', driven', into.. place and; which. serves. torminimize. the., force necessary to eiiectpropen driving. oi;-the, spike;. intoI operating. position. In its preferredV form.y

the invention provides... channels; in the` several;v

sideslof .z thefbody, of. the, spike and eachfchannel is.. inwardly: convergent or has, inwardly.v conf,y vergent walls.. Thej-s'everalchannels are prefere.: ably straight4 and'. the channels ati each side. ofe the. body are in. ar.. series.: with; adj acent. channels, pitched.. or, inclined; in., opposite. directiolxs`1 and; with 1the .endsoifsuch channels. joinedaucornersi: of the body where the body is. notched somewhat; TheS notches occurring at'A thec edgesiof; the body are. common,V to thechannels,v at.- thesidesf, adjaf`- cent..` the, corners.. The, structure.; as, thus'. pro-.1.. vided'. allows .for free, circulation. of; uids as, for, instancaair.; or sap, lengthwise; of; the body; as .theespikeiszdriven, andzprovdesfor, alimitedamouht; off swelling, of fthepwood of.: thertieiinto the. spike,A all without-.soy tearing, or, injuring. of. the woodias.- toweakenondestroy it. It is .,a.. general; obj ect. of 'thisi invention to pro.- vide a; spike. oft, the.; general character reerred; to. which.. is so channeled-at its;4 several; sides aseto..A provide...for theiree; now oncirculationgof fluids; such as air; or sap; with=.the result;` that the spike'. can .b e.y driven easily.,- .eveninto harm wood Suchl as.; may bev employedin railroad ties: ltfisia fur:` ther object of this invention to; providea,spikea constructionothe general character referredto driveninto rail holding gposiztion, .and'iitj-vdoesi noti-g back yor workioutswhen; subject? tovthe usual; ace' l. tion that occurs astheretained rail;is,de efzted;,`

' due to .the passage.. of"L rolling stock; over; thefgrail.

` detailedz'description of,-V a typical;` preferred' form. and; application.. of; the. iriventoml throughout...

which description reference isf; made .f to. the.k acf-` companying drawings, in which: .l I Eig; rissa-g. sideevatixzu .offanortunofe a typifcal unit of rolling stock such as a box-car, showlng the truck of the car on a conventional rail supported on cross ties of wood through plates and held on the ties by spikes engaged through the plates so their heads engage the flange of the rail. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a rail showing it resting on a tie and showing a spike provided by the present invention being driven throughv the plate which is between the rail and tie in the course of being introduced into position to retain the rail on the tie. Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view similar to Fig. 2 showing the spikes in operating position retaining the rail in place and showing a wheel on the rail, the view being taken substantially as indicated by line 3--3 on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the spike provided by the present invention. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed transverse sectional view of the spike taken substantially as indicated by line 5-5 on Fig.

4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of thek structure, being a -view taken as indicated by line 6-6 on Fig. 5 and illustrating the manner in which wood of a tie expands or enters into the corner notch of the spike to effectively retain the spike in'place. Fig. 'I is a view similar to Fig. 6 being taken as indicated by line 'I-'I on Fig. 4, and Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional Viewv of an ordinary or conventional railroad spike in a corroded condition and loose in a tie and loosely carrying a rail, all as in frequently the case when an ordinary spike has been in use for an appreciable length of time.

The spike provided by this invention, being a so-called railroad spike, is intended primarily for use for securing a railroad rail A to a typical tie B and in the usual case such a rail is supported on the tie B through a plate C. In the drawings I have shown an ordinary or conventional rail A with a head or treadIU supported on a vertical web I I which projects upwardly from a base which is formed by laterally projecting anges I2. The head I of the rail carries the wheels I3 of trucks D provided on rolling stock such as locomotives and cars of various types or classes. Inthe drawings I have illustrated a portion of a box car E and have shown one truck of the car with its wheels on a rail, the wheels being the usual flanged wheels commonly found on railroad rolling stock.

The spike provided by this invention and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 of the drawings, involves, generally, an elongate body F sharpened at one end to readily enter a tie B and provided at its other end with a head H.

The'body F of the spike is preferably made to conform generally with standards established for ordinary railroad spikes, that is, it is about the size and shape of an ordinary spike and the head I-I is formed on the upper end of the spike to be integral therewith, as is the case in an ordinary spike. The body in such case is preferably of substantial length and is substantially uniform in cross sectional configuration from one end to the other, except at its lower end portion where it is sharpened orpointed, as will be hereinafter described. The particular spike illustrated is rectangular in cross sectional cong'uration and is shaped or dressed at its lower end to readily enter a tie. The lower end portion of the spike is shown having opposite sides I made convergent so that they join to establish an edge or sharp end I6 that will readily enter the wood of a' usual tie B.

'The head H which is preferably integral with 4 the body has a laterally projecting 11p portion I8 with an inclined lower side I9 to engage over the edge portion of a rail flange I2.

The anchoring means as provided by the present invention involves a plurality of like channels 20 in each of the several sides 2| of the body F and in accordance with the preferred form of the invention there are channels 20 in each of the several sides 2I of the body. The channels at or in each side 2| of the body F may be substantially alike as to arrangement and relationship and it is preferred that the several channels 20 in each side 2| be arranged and related so as to be in a series extending lengthwise of the body. Each individual channel 2Il is preferably straight from one end to the other and adjacent channels are inclined or pitched oppositely to each extends somewhat lengthwise of the body as it extends across the body from one edge or corner 22 to the other. Adjacent channels Zpreferably connect or come together at openings or notches 23 provided in the corners 22 that occur where the side 2l terminates. Through this general arrangement and relationship of features, all of which is cle-arly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the channels on or in each side 2l of the spike body F form a substantially zig-zag pattern.

Each individual channel 20 is preferably in the form of a simple, straight, groove having inwardly convergent walls 3] and the edges SI where the walls 3E join the side 2| are preferably rounded, cr nished slightly so that there are no sharp edges exposed to the tie. In practice I prefer to make each channel of such width and depth that a portion. of the tie will bulge somewhat into the channel as shown at X in Fig. 7. In like manner the notches 23 provided in the corners are such that portions Y of the tie will bulge into them, as shown in Fig. 6.

In accordance with the present invention the series of channels 20 provided in adjacent sides 2l of the body F are so related that they all terminate at the notches 23 so that each notch is common to four channels, as will be apparent from consideration of Fig. .4 of the drawings, this being true except at the ends of the series of notches where the end notches may have less than four channels joined therewith.

In accordance with the invention the body and head of the spike are preferably formed of a ferrous metal such as a suitable steel and the entire spike is covered by a protective coating, preferably a coating of non-corrosive or corrosion resistant metal. In practice where a steel spike is provided the coating may be cadmium or the like, applied to the steel by plating. rIt is to be understood that the entire spike including the body 'and the head, may be formed of corrosion resistant metal.

With the construction provided by the present invention the spike can be driven into place in the usual mannerV using the usual hammer or sledge S as shown in Fig. 2, and I have found that by my channeled body construction the spike provides for ready or free circulation of air or sap that may be present, allowing thev spike to readily enter the tie. When once in place in a tie the portions X and Y that bulge into the channels and notches provided in the body of the spike effectively retain the spike in the tie and the spike will remain in place over an extended period of time, even when subjected to the working that occurs as rolling stock deflects the rail and causes working of the tie in the road bed,

which road bed in time becomes so packed that the tie works up and down as the rolling stock passes over the rail. The channels and notches as provided by the present invention, being formed and related as above described, retain the body of the spike without biting into the wood or fibers of the tie in such manner as to weaken or destroy the tie, and consequently the spike can be used without danger of injury to the tie.

Having described only a typical preferred form and application of my invention, I do not wish to be limited or restricted to the specific details herein set forth, but wish to reserve to myself any variations or modifications that may appear to those skilled in the art and fall within the scope of the following claims:

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A spike of the character described including, an elongate body with a pointed portion at one end vand of substantially uniform size and shape throughout its length except at said pointed portion, anda head on the other end of the body,v

the body being substantially rectangular in cross sectional configuration and having flat sides each with a series of grooves extending longitudinally of the body and forming a zigzagged channel extending substantially throughout the uniform portion, the grooves having walls joined to the said sides by rounded corners, adjacent grooves of each series being oppositely inclined longitudinally of the body and connected together only at their ends which occur at the corners of the body, there being notches in the corners of the body where the channels are connected together, the notches in each corner being common to the channels in the sides adjacent the corner, the said sides having flat smooth uninterrupted surfaces between the grooves, the combined areas of the said surfaces being substantially greater than the combined areas occupied by the grooves.

2. A spike of the character described including, an elongate body with a pointed portion at one end and of substantially uniform sizeand shape throughout its length except at said pointed porof each series being oppositelyV inclined longitudinally of the body and connected together only at their ends which occur at the corners of the body, there being notches in the corners of the body Where the channels are connected together, the notches in each corner being common to the channels in the sides adjacent the corner, said notches being of substantially greater depth than said grooves, the said sides having flat smooth uninterrupted surfaces between the grooves, the

combined areas of the said surfaces being substantially greater than the combined areas occupied by the grooves.

' HARRY A. LACERDA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 451,859 Hammond May 5, 1891 780,063 Pratt Jan. 17, 1905 1,084,804 Kruttschnitt Jan. 20, 1914 1,193,503 Braddock Aug. 8, 1916 1,214,634 Wright Feb. 6, 1917 1,373,875 Fallon Apr. 5, 1921 1,698,370 Kronenberger Jan. 8, 1929 1,914,597 Howard June 20, 1933 2,203,294 Engle June 4, 1940 2,303,673 Wilson Dec. 1, 1942 2,380,287 Baumbach July 10, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number k Country Date 7,787 Great Britain May 5, 1891 

